Festoon holder



March 4, 1952 c N Y 2,588,246

FESTOON HOLDER Filed Feb. 9, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR. MMu. c. mm

March 4, 1952 KENNEY 2,588,246

' FESTOON HOLDER Filed Feb. 9, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR. l fiu a Km BY 16 M, 34 M 4: I Myf.

Patented Mar. 4, 1952 FESTOON HOLDER William C. Kenney, Cranston, R. I., assignor to Kenney Manufacturing Company, Cranston, B. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application February 9, 1950, Serial No. 143,283

This invention relates to drapery festoon holders and more particularly to festoon holders provided with means for retaining the drapery fabric in position of adjustment.

Conventional festoon holders generally comprise a bracket secured to a wall or window frame, having an ornamental head or ring mountedthereon, and with the curtain fabric merely draped over the bracket arm or through the ring. Such holders do not retain the fabric or the pleats therein against random misalignments from drafts of air, tugs, or other sources of disturbance, and since the appearance of festoon type drapery is highly dependent upon accurate maintenance of balance and proportions, constant adjustment is required when such holders are employed. To correct this disadvantage curtain brackets have been provided with screw operated clamps to hold the fabric once it is in position. Such clamping holders have not been successful for several reasons. First, with them the clamping part of the bracket extends well over the fabric and therefore is visible. Secondly, with such brackets, the curtain material may not conveniently be made to abut the wall or the ornamental head. Thirdly, the clamping arm is relatively diflicult to operate and is not readily suitable for different thicknesses of fabric. Fourthly, production and assembly of its working parts rendered it expensive to manufacture.

An object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive festoon holder having means for retaining drapery fabric and the pleats therein against random misalignments. Another object is to provide a festoon holder with retaining means substantially hidden from view and capable of accommodating fabric .of different thicknesses. Another object of my invention is to 5 Claims. (01. 160-.330)

provide such a festoon holder wherein the fabric holding means permits the fabric to abut both the wall and the head or ring of the bracket while still firmly retaining the same against random tugs or other sources of misalignment.

An additional object of my invention is to provide such a festoon holder which may be fabricated in one piece and lend itself readily to molding.

In the accomplishment of these objects in a preferred embodiment of my invention, I employ a bracket arm one end of which is secured in the usual manner to the frame of a window or other supporting structure. The other end of the bracket arm is provided with a decorative head. It is a feature of my invention that adjacent to the point of junction between the decorative head and the bracket arm, there is a lug or spike extending part way inwardly along,

the arm and defining a narrow passage between itself and the bracket arm. This feature permits curtain fabric to be placed across the bracket arm inward of the lug, drawn outwardly under it, and securely wedged between it and the bracket arm. In this way the inward margins of the fabric may freely abut the wall or window frame while the outermost portions may be drawn up to the decorative head under the lug.

It is a further feature of my invention that it readily accommodates fabrics of different thicknesses because the entire outer margin of the drapery need not be drawn under the holding lug, but part of the drapery may be placed over it, while the remainder is wedged under the lug.

An additional feature of my invention is that the bracket arm is channelled, and the holding lug starts from a point within the channel in defining the narrow passage between itself and the bracket. In this way the lug is adapted to force the fabric down into the channel when the fabric is wedged between the lug and the bracket, and thereby provides a more positive grip both by expanding the area of contact against the fabric, and by holding the fabric in a crimpecl position.

Still another feature of my invention is that its design lends itself conveniently to molding in one piece and is structurally arranged to be strong even though made of plastics such as cellulose acetate.

Further objects and features of my invention will best be understood and appreciated from a detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration, and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of the bracket of my invention illustrating its application in support of a festoon;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the festoon holder;

Fig. 3 is a plan view'of the same; and

Fig. i is a cross sectional view along the lines 4-'4 of Fig. 2.

The preferred festoon holder herein shown is made entirely of molded plastic and includes a bracket arm I0 in the form of a U-shaped channel, a decorative head I2 on the outer end of the arm [0, a retaining lug or spike l4, and a securing flange l6 integral with the inner end of the bracket ID. The securing flange I6 is perforated and the festoon holder may be mounted on a window frame or wall in the con 3 ventional manner (see Fig. 1) with screws or nails passing through the perforations.

The decorative head 12 is dished or concave on its inner face, that is toward the wall, and the retaining lug I4 is integral with the bracket arm I adjacent the point of junction between the arm Ill and the head l2 both within the channel of the said arm and within the concavity of the head.

The retaining lug I4 is constructed in the form of a blunt spike and extends inwardly along the center axis of the groove of the bracket arm defining between itself and the walls of the groove a narrow and converging passage. It will be noted that the base. of. the lug l4 meets the bottom of the channel of the bracket arm ID at a point outward from the plane defined by the margins of the decorative head l2. Because of this, it will be evident that. curtain fabric may be drawn outward underneath the lug l4 to a position abutting the marginal face of the saidv head.

In this position the curtain fabric will also be wedged, into the channel of the bracket arm l0. and by virtue of the wide surface area of contact; afforded thereby, as well as the crimped position of the fabric so retained and the slight resiliency of the lug l4, it will be evident that this preferred embodiment of my invention is particularly suited for firm retention of the fabric. It is further to be noted that the channel construction of the bracket arm 10, together with. the concave contour of the decorative head affords the bracket of my invention a highly advantageous structure for purposes of support and strength. Therefore, this preferred embodiment may readily be made of standard moldable plastics such as cellulose acetate. Due to the uniform and straight contour of the lug is difficulties encountered in extracting the mold have been overcome.

Certain deviations from the precise form of this preferred embodiment of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit of the, invention. For instance, better traction upon the curtain fabric could be attained by providing the inner surface of the channel of the bracket arm lil with small longitudinal grooves or knurls, and the same could be provided for the surface of the lug M. It: is. also feasible to construct the device out of other materials, such as sheet metal and to weld the lug It. in position, providing either a flat. or grooved surface for it to bear against and con structing it with a highly resilient spring element. Therefore, it is not intended to. confine the. invention to its precise form as herein shown, out. rather to limit it in accordance with the appended claims.

Having thus described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A festoon holder comprising a curtain supporting arm, one end ofsaid arm adapted for connection to asupporting structure, the other end of the said arm extending upwardly to form a decorative head and a retaining lug integral with. said arm at the end near said decorative head extending part way inwardly of said arm from a point toward its other end, said lug being slightly resilient and being positioned to define between itself and the arm a narrow and converging passage, whereby curtain niaterial may be positively retained upon said holder by wedging said material into the passage between the lug and the arm.

2. A festoon holder comprising a curtain supporting arm adapted at one end for connection to a supporting structure the other end of the said arm extending upwardly to form a decorative head, walls within said arm defining a longitudina-I channel, and a retaining lug integral with. said arm at the end near said decorative head extending only part way inwardly of said armlfrom a, Point toward its other end and from a point within said channel, said lug being slightly resilient and being positioned to define between'itself and the arm a narrow and converging passage, whereby curtain. mate-rial may be placed across the open face or he channel of; said arm, drawn outwardly into said; narrow passage, and positively wedged into, said channel between. said, lug and arm,

3., The festoon holder defined in claim, 2 further characterizedrby the, channel gradually converging; from the, inner supportedend; of the arm toward the outer end thereof, the, lug having; gradually tapered, conical surfaces... and the. lu positioned with, respect: to. the channel; to define a gradually convergingfpassage.

i. A festoon, holder comprising a curtain; sup,- porting arm adaptedv at its. inner. end for connection to a supporting, structure, an upstandin bracket integral with the, outer end ofv the said arm, said bracketv being concave on, its. inner surface, a retaining lug integral with said bracket at. a point within the concavity of said inner surface, said lug constructed and arranged to extend part way inwardly along said arm and positioned to define between itself and said arm a narrow and converging passage, whereby curtain material may be positively retained upon said holder by: wedging said material into. the passage between the lug and the arm with the material abutting said bracket.

5. The festoonholder defined in claim 4 faur-E ther characterized by walls in the curtainv sup.- porting arm defining a channel, and the lug positioned adjacent to said channel whereby: curtain material wedged between the lug and arm will be forced into said channel. 7

WILLIAM C.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Pezzella Jan. 2'7, i948 

